John Kundla

Lore & Background

Kundla was born in Star Junction, Pennsylvania to parents from Jakubany, at that time Austria-Hungary, now Slovakia. He moved to Minneapolis at age 5 and attended Central High School. He played basketball for the University of Minnesota in the late 1930s. After coaching at DeLaSalle High School and serving in the Navy during World War II, he coached the College of St. Thomas in 1946.

He was hired by the Minneapolis Lakers in 1947 at age 31 for $6,000. His Lakers teams included Hall of Famers George Mikan, Jim Pollard, Slater Martin, Vern Mikkelsen, Clyde Lovellette, Slick Leonard, Hot Rod Hundley, and Elgin Baylor. He briefly moved to the front office in 1957–58 but returned to coaching that season. He resigned after the 1958–59 season to coach the University of Minnesota, where he stayed for nine seasons.

He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Reader's Guide

John Kundla coached the Minneapolis Lakers from 1947 to 1959, winning six total league championships: one NBL (1948), one BAA (1949), and four NBA (1950, 1952, 1953, 1954). His overall BAA/NBA regular-season record was 423–302, and his playoff record was 60–35. He also coached the University of Minnesota from 1959 to 1968, finishing with a record of 110–105.

Did You Know?

• He was the first Gophers coach to give scholarships to African-American players, resulting in hate mail.
• Kundla turned 100 in July 2016 and died on July 23, 2017, twenty days after his 101st birthday.
• After the Lakers won the 2002 championship, Kundla was awarded a championship ring at a ceremony at Staples Center.